Jul. 29, 2009

Introduction: Women in Science

Women in Science is a 5-part web series which examines the amount of women across a range of scientific fields. Throughout the series, we interview a range of women involved in the field of science. Meredith Fischer is a biologist and Harvard graduate. Erika O'Bannon and Cassandra Augustin work at Science Club for Girls, an organization dedicated to educating the young women about the wonders of the scientific world. In addition, we interview Kate Lawrence, a future women in science who is already inventing helpful inventions for fisherman through Lemelson-MIT's InvenTeams program.

Can you name any women in science?

How many prominent scientists can you name? How many prominent women scientists can you name? This was the question posed to passerby in Times Square. Their answers serve as a prelude to the problems discussed during the rest of the videos.

Why should there be more women in science?

In part 3, we examine why there should be more women in the field of science. What can women bring to the field that their male counterparts lack? The answer may actually lie in science....

Are women encouraged enough to go into the sciences?

Perhaps the reason why there aren't enough women in science is because of the way society brings girls up and what we impose upon them. Should they be encouraged more?

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What is the future for women in science?

In the final part, we speculate on the future of women in science. It seems likely that womens' role in science will increase, but at what rate and how soon?